After Ever After

Six

"Cinder as much as I hate to break this up, you have things to do today. I suggest you take your morning announcements in the Solar, unless you don't mind Isaac and Sara seeing this..." Iko whispered softly. 

Cinder opened her eyes and looked around her room, true to her word it was only Iko inside. She yawned and untangled herself from Kai... Kai. She smiled. Iko went to wait in the hallway for her.

Getting out of bed was a feat, Cinder didn't want to leave Kai and his warm, safe, currently naked arms. Somehow she had ended up in his white button up last night, she grinned and threw it on a hanger in the pajamas section of her closet. He won't be getting that back, she thought. 

When she'd finished getting ready, she threw another glance behind her to see him all curled up on her bed looking as if he hadn't slept so well in weeks. Then she snuck through the door and closed it softly. Waiting for her in the hallway was Iko and Konn Torin. 

"Might I be brash enough to assume my Emperor is behind that door?" Torin inquired. Cinder was glad that she couldn't blush in that moment.

"Yes, but he's sleeping. Don't wake him up, please. He looks like he hasn't slept well in ages." Cinder replied embarrassed to have been caught by Kai's own father figure sneaking out of her room.

"I figured when he wasn't in his own rooms last night. Nevertheless, I am here to hold counsel with you in your solar." Torin said. 

Iko just stood to the side looking quite amused at the situation. 

"Follow me please then." Iko piped up.

Cinder walked next to Iko leaving Konn Torin to follow behind. Their little party descended on the palace's early morning bustle with maids running about, paid maids as Cinder liked to point out, they were no longer servants and slaves. Guards were already posted in every hallway, and as she passed, each gave her a reverent nod of their heads. She nodded back.

Cinder couldn't wait to have all her friends back and gathered in one place, which reminded her...

"Iko why is Kai here now? The Earthen leaders weren't supposed to arrive until tomorrow." 

"Well, I may have kinda sorta told him about your 'dreams' he decided to rush up here after that. Did you have any dreams last night?" Iko asked.

Now that she thought about it no. None at all, except the one where Kai came to Luna early and found her half naked in her room. Turns out that one wasn't a dream after all. So much was happening and Cinder's head swam as they approached the final hallway leading into her solar. 

"What is this?" Konn Torin halted before walking into the hallway.  

"The Hall of Mirrors" Iko explained.

 Cinder had had it built three days after the Eastern Commonwealth party had departed. It's purpose was to have truth thrust at anyone Lunar or Earthen who walked down it (but mostly Lunar). It was the only way into her solar... Unless you could fly. It was filled with all kinds of mirrors, rigged so that once you walked down it your glamour drops and all you can see in the mirrors is your true self. 

After Levana was gone, many of the families had wanted to meet with Cinder in her solar, but they always tried to glamour her and her waitstaff inside. Once she put the mirrors up, less and less came, nobody wanted to meet with her if it meant they had to look at their true selves in the mirrors before they got to her. So only those with real questions and concerns that they believed deserved counsel would walk the hall just to get to her. She told Konn Torin as much. 

They walked down it now and Cinder loved the hall, no one could hide in here. In this hallway, she was just Cinder.  Konn Torin looked taken aback that Cinder would add such a place in the palace where no mirror had been seen in the last millennia. A certain respect for the lunar princess descended upon him though.